Complete protein is a major component of pollen, from 24% to 35% (Bachmann, 1986). Pollen contains 50% more protein than beef. Weight for weight it is higher in protein than steak, eggs or cheese without the fat. Carbohydrates constitute about 27% and consist mostly of the simple sugars fructose and glucose. Much of this sugar is added by the forager bees in the form of nectar of honey which is used to bind the pollen grains together and allow them to be packed efficiently into the pollen baskets on their hind legs. These added sugars are what give bee-collected pollen its sweet taste. Pollen contains substantial quantities of the minerals potassium, calcium, and magnesium, as well as notably high levels of iron, zinc, manganese, phosphorus and copper. Pollen, like most plant materials, contains low levels of sodium. Bee-collected pollen is extraordinarily rich in most of the B-vitamins, including thiamine, niacin, riboflavin, pyridoxine, pantothenic acid, folic acid, and biotin. It also contains highly variable levels of vitamin C. In addition, it contains antioxidants, including flavenoids, beta carotene, vitamin E and Lycopene. The best documented healthful benefit of pollen for humans is undoubtedly the treatment of chronic prostatitis. In several studies, the consumption of bee pollen was shown to reduce the inflammation, discomfort and pathology of patients suffering from benign prostatic inflammation. (Ref. Ask-Upmark, 1967; Denis, 1966; Hayashi et al., 1986).
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